Snorkeling in Akumal, Mexico
Akumal Bay is known for its assorted species of sea turtles which use the area for breeding, feeding and rearing their young. This provides an optimal chance to see the animals in their natural habitat, including the many colorful species of fish and plant life.
Snorkeling and scuba diving are perhaps the favorite activities to pursue during a trip to Akumal, but snorkeling is a less physically demanding and technical option. With a brief instruction course and a good area choice, snorkeling is relatively easy for even first-time beginners.
One popular area for snorkeling in Akumal is the Yal-ku lagoon. This area is an extremely rare environment where fresh water meets with salt water from the ocean. The combination of the two types of water is called a "halocline" effect.
Only very specific species can survive and prosper in this halocline bay, and the mixture of salt and fresh water supplies creates an changed appearance of the water itself. Many species found in this area are not found anywhere else in the world, and have been shown on many travel channel specials in recent years.
Casa Cenote is a lagoon featuring mangroves and unusual fish displays. Many snorkelers find the fossils in Cenote at Dosojos quite fun for a day of exploration. Many of the fossils seen at Dosojos date back to Mayan civilizations that once occupied the area.
Snorkel lessons are usually a good idea forfirst-timers prior to going to one of these sites. Although the activity is easy, some find that they are uncomfortable with the equipment or unsure how to best view the underwater scenery while safely using the equipment.
A popular activity for locals and tourists alike is night snorkeling. Typically, a flashlight is used in conjunction with traditional snorkeling equipment for this activity.
Many species which are not seen during daylight hours can be seen when snorkeling after sunset. This is typically because they are night-feeders or resting during the day.
The octopus is a perfect example of this spectacle. Octopuses only come out to feed at after dark, and change color when a flashlight beam is focused on them. Virtually all of the life seen at night are safe for snorkelers, so night snorkeling is a safe activity as well.
Plant life and some types of fish are also luminescent at night. This creates greenish lights glowing either continuously or flashing at night - quite a view for one who is only used to snorkeling during the day!
M Gravlee is a retired newspaper publisher who spends several months a year traveling.
http://vacationsurfer.net/Mexico/
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Scuba Diving in the Cayman Islands – Walls, Galleons and So Much More!
By Mark J Burns
Located in the northern Caribbean Sea lie the Cayman Islands; home to some of the worlds best dive sites, and arguably the best diving to be found anywhere in the Caribbean. Dive sites including the world famous Bloody Bay Wall and Stingray City are known to scuba divers throughout the world.
Vertical walls line all three of the Cayman Islands, and there are currently over 100 named wall dive sites. However, although the main focus of the scuba diving in the Cayman Islands is the awesome wall diving to be found here, there are also a large number of wreck dive sites to be discovered including freighters and even a 475 year old Spanish galleon!
The Cayman Islands are in fact comprised of three separate islands, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Diving is possible throughout all of the Islands, although the majority of the dive sites tend to be focused around Grand Cayman, predominantly due to its larger coastline.
One of the more unique experiences to be had whilst scuba diving can be found at Stingray City, a shallow natural channel located off the northwest corner of Grand Cayman. Here, the natural channel has become home to a large population of stingrays, which wait to be fed by the approaching scuba divers. This is a genuinely unique opportunity to get up close to these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat, and is an experience which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
For the fans of wall diving, the Cayman Islands are a true paradise and some of the worlds best wall diving can be found here. Although there are over a 100 wall dives in the Cayman Islands, without doubt the pick of the bunch is the world famous Bloody Bay Wall, which is located off the north shore of Little Cayman.
Starting at a mere 6 meters, Bloody Bay Wall drops off into the deep abyss, reaching depths of over 350 meters in parts. The site itself is in fact a series of separate wall dive sites, each offering supreme coral cover and formations, as well as good levels of marine life. Large Nassau groupers, shrimps, lobsters, jacks and queen trigger fish can all be found on Bloody Bay Wall on a regular basis.
It is possible to scuba dive in the Cayman Islands throughout the year, with only a slight variation in the water temperature. The visibility in the Cayman Islands often reaches in excess of an incredible 50 meters, ensuring some of the best scuba diving in the Caribbean.
Overall, the Cayman Islands offer some of the Caribbean's most unique and exciting scuba diving, ensuring that large numbers of scuba divers return here year after year.
Mark Burns is Director of http://www.Scubaworld.tv - a scuba diving web site, and a comprehensive source of information on scuba diving in the Cayman Islands
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Scuba Diving in the Cayman Islands
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lilah_Tusko]Lilah Tusko
If there's one place that knows scuba diving, it is the Cayman Islands. Known as the birthplace of recreational diving in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands were pioneers in scuba diving as a recreational sport to be enjoyed by the general public in the Caribbean and the rest of the world as well. In 1957, the first dive shop was opened on Grand Cayman. Today, there are more than 40 dive shops in operation offering excursions to more than 200 dive sites.
It is made up of three islands that are actually the exposed top of an underwater mountain. The islands are the Grand Cayman, the Cayman Brac, and the Little Cayman. The mountainous nature of the islands contributes to numerous coral structures and vertical walls directly offshore. In fact, most scuba diving locations here can be reached directly offshore or within a few hundred yards of shore.
Scuba diving in the Cayman Islands is as diverse as the marine life that adds awe and beauty to this great place. There is plenty to see and do for every level of diver no matter if you are a first timer, still learning, looking to improve, or are considered a master. You can dive in as little as 20 feet or plunge to the depths of 350 feet or more. The bottom line is that you can find any type of scuba diving experience that you desire and maybe even a few that you haven't thought of yet.
Here is a brief overview of the three islands and of the scuba diving to be found on each:
Grand Cayman - It is the largest of the 3 islands and offers for main areas for scuba diving: the North Wall, the South Side, the East End, and Seven-Mile Beach. Prevailing Southeasterly winds make scuba diving off of the South Side a rarity but the experience is well worth waiting for favorable conditions.
Little Cayman - It is a sister to the Cayman Brac. It is most famous for the Bloody Bay Wall located in the Bloody Bay Marine Park which starts at a depth of only 20 feet. The best scuba diving on the Little Cayman can be found on the north and south sides but all sites are not accessible year round. Another great attraction of this area is the Jackson Bay Area.
Cayman Brac - It is most famous for being home to the only Russian Shipwreck that can be reached by scuba diving in the Caribbean. It rests at a depth of 330 feet and is an amazing sight to behold.
In addition to sheer vertical drops and shipwrecks, scuba diving in the Cayman Islands will bring you into intimate contact with numerous coral reefs and colorful fish and marine life that you have only imagined existed.
To obtain your 2 FREE Gifts: Special Report "Insider's Guide to Scuba Diving Gear" and Special Report "Top 10 Ways to Make Money while Scuba Diving", go to http://www.thatdivesite.com and sign up for the FREE Gifts. To visit the website, go to http://www.scubadivingsolutions.com
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